Get your immunizations, prevent disease

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Toneka Machado
  • 436th Medical Operations Squadron commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  August is National Immunizations Awareness Month and is sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition.

The history of immunizations began in England more than 200 years ago when Dr. Edward Jenner developed a smallpox vaccine. Since that time, immunizations have eradicated or decreased the commonness of life-threatening diseases like polio, pertussis, diphtheria, hepatitis, meningitis and chicken pox, just to name a few. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently vaccines to prevent 24 diseases across the lifespan continuum.

Vaccines work simply by imitating or introducing a weakened version of a virus or bacteria causing the body’s immune system to form antibodies that will fight off the disease. These antibodies will stay in the bloodstream for many years protecting you from that disease should you be exposed again.

Vaccines are extremely important, not just for your own protection, but also to prevent community-acquired infections or epidemics.

There are certain children or adults who cannot receive immunizations due to a poor immune system or young age. However, by vaccinating the majority of the surrounding population, we provide “herd immunity” for those who cannot be vaccinated. In other words, if many people are immunized against a particular infection, they will not only stay healthy if exposed, but will not pass it on to those who are sick and unimmunized. This is why it is so important to vaccinate as many healthy adults and children as possible.

There are great sources of information available to help you make the best informed decision about immunizations for you and your family. Whether you are seeking the immunizations schedule for your children or to protect yourself when you travel, you can find information on vaccines at the CDC’s website: www.cdc.gov/vaccines. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics sponsors the website, www.healthychildren.org where you can locate the recommended schedule for pediatric vaccinations. If you have concerns about the health effects of receiving vaccines, your primary medical care provider is available to answer your questions.

The Immunizations clinic at the 436th Medical Group is available to administer vaccines to any authorized Department of Defense medical care beneficiaries during normal clinic operating hours. Please visit the clinic to see a schedule of routine pediatric immunizations given and learn when you should be receiving adult vaccines for tetanus, shingles and pneumococcus.

If you are an enrolled patient to the 436th Medical Group and receive immunizations from an off-base provider, please submit a copy of those vaccines to the Immunizations clinic to ensure a complete medical record. Consider immunizations carefully, make informed decisions, and partner with your Primary Care Manager to prevent disease.